2 weeks, 13 cities, and 3000km later, my lifelong dream of traveling Cuba is complete. With a backpack in hand, 2 compañeros by my side (Elaina Nakhleh and Sebastian Blati), and our starry-eyed longing for adventure, we set off on our journey. Navigating our rental car with only a paper map, and no pre-booked accommodation, our faith in the country allowed us to meet the most interesting of characters and enter the humblest of homes.

All photos taken on my Sony A7R, with a 24-70mm F2.8 lens. Click on the images to enlarge them.

SANTIAGO DE CUBA:

Not to be mistaken with Santiago, Chile, Santiago de Cuba is a city that screams history, completely unsubtle about its triumphant mark on the Cuban timeline. We arrived here just in time for the annual 26 Julio carnival, named after the failed attack on the city's Moncada barracks, marking the beginning of the Cuban revolution, led by a young Fidel Castro.

The view from our favela. The famous Sierra Maestra mountain range stood at the back, where the guerillas (including Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos) were based, leaving up to the revolution.

I couldn't help but join in with the children playing football in a neighbourhood street.

Those who didn't play football, played cards. I was lucky enough to observe this very serious card game.